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GermanyCitizenship

German citizenship in Germany

Naturalisation is the acquisition of German citizenship by a foreign national who lives lawfully and permanently in Germany. The application is made to the citizenship authority at the place of residence: if the conditions of the citizenship act are met, citizenship is granted as of right, not at an official's discretion.

Source: gesetze-im-internet.de — § 10 StAG (naturalisation)

Who is eligible

The entitlement to naturalisation is set out in § 10 of the citizenship act (StAG). The conditions are checked together: failing any one of them removes the right to claim citizenship. For particular groups the law sets shorter periods and concessions.

General route under § 10 StAG
  • Lawful habitual residence in Germany for at least 5 years
  • The applicant's identity and citizenship established and evidenced by documents
  • Legal capacity under § 34 StAG or a legal representative
  • An open-ended right of residence, an EU Blue Card, or a residence permit whose purpose leads to permanent residence
  • Supporting oneself and any dependants without benefits under Book Two or Book Twelve of the Social Code
  • German at level B1 on the Common European Framework
  • Knowledge of the legal and social order and of living conditions in Germany
  • Commitment to the free democratic order of the Basic Law
  • Recognition of Germany's special historical responsibility for National Socialist rule and for the protection of Jewish life
  • No conviction for an unlawful act
Spouses and partners of German citizens (§ 9 StAG)
  • Lawful habitual residence in Germany for 3 years or more
  • The marriage or registered partnership has existed for at least 2 years
  • The other requirements of § 10 subsection 1 apply in full
  • The residence period is shortened on grounds of public interest where the marriage has lasted 3 years
  • Minor children are naturalised at the same time even without 3 years of residence
When income does not have to be evidenced
  • Full-time employment at present and for at least 20 of the last 24 months
  • The spouse or registered partner of such an employee, living with them and a minor child as one household
  • Entry under the labour recruitment and placement agreement before 30 June 1974 — provided the receipt of social benefits is not the applicant's fault
  • Contract workers who entered the territory of the former GDR before 13 June 1990, and spouses who followed them
Concessions on the language and the test
  • For a child under 16, age-appropriate language development is enough
  • In cases of illness, disability or old age, the language and civics requirements are waived
  • For former guest workers it is enough to make themselves understood orally in everyday situations without noticeable difficulty
  • In cases of particular hardship the requirement is reduced to oral communication where B1 cannot be reached despite serious efforts
  • The test is not required for holders of a German school leaving certificate
  • An integration course certificate replaces the individual examinations

What it costs

Naturalisation fee, per person255 EUR
Fee for a minor child naturalised together with the parents51 EUR
A minor naturalised without the parents255 EUR
Sitting the citizenship test+25 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Sitting the citizenship test” adds 25 EUR; the “A minor naturalised without the parents” branch replaces the “Fee for a minor child naturalised together with the parents” line — 510 EUR.306–331 EUR

Documents to gather

The application form is issued by the citizenship authority. The enclosures are chosen according to the statutory conditions that have to be evidenced.

  • Naturalisation application on the authority's form
  • Valid passport or other official documents evidencing identity and citizenship
  • Certificate of German at level B1 on the Common European Framework
  • Certificate that the citizenship test has been passed
  • Integration course certificate — it counts for the language where B1 is reached in the 'Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer', and for civics where the result in the 'Leben in Deutschland' test is at least 17 out of 33
  • Document showing an open-ended right of residence, an EU Blue Card or another suitable residence permit
  • Proof of income and of the ability to support oneself and any dependants without social benefits
  • Written commitment to the free democratic order and to Germany's historical responsibility
  • Details of convictions abroad and of criminal and investigative proceedings pending abroad — these are stated expressly in the application
  • A valid photographic document — to be brought on the day of the test for identification

How the process runs

The procedure is drawn from the citizenship act, the regulation on the test and the guidance of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

  1. 1

    Build up the residence period

    5 years

    Lawful habitual residence in Germany is counted. Trips abroad of up to 6 months do not interrupt the period. Where the absence is longer, residence is preserved if the person returned within the period set by the foreigners' authority.

  2. 2

    Seek advice from the authority

    The citizenship authority issues the forms and reviews the individual case. You can find out which authority is responsible from the foreigners' authority of your city or municipality, from the migration advice service for young people, from the advice service for adult immigrants, or from the city or district administration.

  3. 3

    Evidence your German

    The condition is met if the applicant has passed a language examination at level B1 on the Common European Framework. For a child who is under 16 at the time of naturalisation, age-appropriate language development is enough.

  4. 4

    Sit the citizenship test

    60 minutes

    The test booklet contains 33 questions, each with four possible answers. The test is passed with 17 or more correct answers. Three questions relate to the federal state where the applicant is registered as their main residence. If it is not passed, the test can be resat, and the certificate remains valid after moving to another state.

  5. 5

    File the application

    From the age of 16 the application is filed in person; for children under 16 it is filed by the parents. The application lists convictions abroad and any open proceedings. The authority checks income, the residence permit and the absence of exclusion grounds.

  6. 6

    Go through the official checks

    For applicants over 16 the citizenship authorities pass the data to the constitutional protection authorities, which look for exclusion grounds. Where a criminal investigation is open, the decision is deferred until the proceedings end.

  7. 7

    Receive the naturalisation certificate

    Naturalisation takes effect when the certificate is handed over. Before it is handed over, the applicant makes a solemn declaration that they will respect the Basic Law and the laws of Germany. The certificate is presented at a public naturalisation ceremony.

Who you can bring with you

The law allows the family to be naturalised together with the applicant and deals separately with the case where the spouse is already a German citizen.

Spouse or registered partner of a German citizen
Residence in Germany for 3 years or more, a marriage or partnership of at least 2 years, and the other conditions of § 10 subsection 1. The residence period is shortened on grounds of public interest where the marriage has lasted 3 years
Spouse or registered partner of a foreign applicant
Naturalised together with the applicant on the conditions of § 10 subsection 1, even if they have not yet lived in the country for 5 years
Minor children of the applicant
Naturalised together with the parent even without 5 years of residence. The fee for a child with no income of their own is lower than for an adult
Minor children of the spouse or partner of a German citizen
May be naturalised at the same time on the conditions of § 10 subsection 1, even if they have lived in the country for less than 3 years
Widowed or divorced spouse of a German citizen
The rules of § 9 apply if the application is filed within a year of the spouse's death or of the divorce decree taking effect and the applicant is raising a minor child of that marriage who already holds German citizenship
Children born in Germany to foreign parents
Acquire German citizenship at birth if one parent has lived lawfully in the country for 5 years and holds an open-ended right of residence; the parents' citizenship is retained

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Lawful residence in Germany for more than 5 years

German citizenship is granted for an unlimited period and does not need to be renewed. An unlawful naturalisation is revoked only where the decision was obtained by deception, threat, bribery or by deliberately incorrect or incomplete information material to that decision. Revocation is permitted no later than 10 years after the naturalisation was announced and takes effect retrospectively: citizenship is lost from the moment the revocation decision becomes final. The fact that the person will thereby become stateless is as a rule no bar to revocation.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

German spoken and written at level B1 or above, plus basic knowledge of the legal and social system and way of life, evidenced by the naturalisation test. The test is usually not required for holders of a German school leaving certificate or a German degree in law, social sciences, public administration or political science

Frequently asked questions about German citizenship

How long do you have to live in Germany to be entitled to naturalisation?
A foreign national who has had lawful habitual residence in Germany for 5 years, who has legal capacity under § 34 StAG or is represented by a legal representative, is naturalised on application if their identity and citizenship are established and the other conditions of § 10 subsection 1 StAG are met.
Do I have to give up my previous citizenship?
No. Point 4 of subsection 1 of § 10 StAG, which used to contain this requirement, is marked in the version in force as repealed (weggefallen). The remaining points 1-7 contain no requirement to renounce the previous citizenship.
Will I lose German citizenship if I later acquire a foreign one?
§ 25 StAG, which previously provided for the loss of German citizenship on acquiring a foreign one by application, is marked in the version in force as repealed. § 12 StAG, which governed the exceptions to the requirement to renounce the previous citizenship, has also been repealed.
How does the citizenship test work?
The test is the same throughout the country and takes the form of question sheets: each question has four possible answers, one of which is correct. The sheet contains 33 questions, three of them about the federal state of residence. The test is passed if at least 17 correct answers are given under supervision within 60 minutes. A standard certificate is issued for passing it and remains valid after a move.
How much does naturalisation cost under the law?
The naturalisation fee is EUR 255. For a minor child naturalised together with the parents who has no income of their own under the income tax act, the fee is reduced to EUR 51. Establishing on application whether German citizenship exists costs EUR 51, and other certificates cost between EUR 5 and EUR 51. Where an application is withdrawn or rejected after substantive examination has begun, a fee from EUR 25 is charged. On grounds of fairness or public interest the fee may be reduced or waived altogether.
Does a long trip abroad interrupt the residence period?
Absences of up to 6 months do not interrupt habitual residence. Where the absence is longer, residence is preserved if the person returned within the period set by the foreigners' authority, or if the delay was caused by compulsory service in the country of origin and the return took place within 3 months of discharge. Where absences have exceeded half of the period required for naturalisation, habitual residence is as a rule treated as lost, but previous residence may be credited up to 3 years.
Does any criminal conviction close the route to citizenship?
No. Educational and disciplinary measures under the act on juvenile courts, fines of up to 90 daily rates and suspended prison sentences of up to 3 months that were remitted after the probation period are disregarded. Several such penalties are added together. The concession does not apply where the sentence was imposed for an antisemitic, racist or otherwise inhuman act and the court established such a motive. Convictions abroad are taken into account where the act is also punishable in Germany, the proceedings met legal standards and the penalty is proportionate.
What can I do if I have no entitlement to naturalisation?
Discretionary naturalisation by the authority is possible. Under § 8 StAG a foreign national with lawful habitual residence in Germany may be naturalised on application if their identity and citizenship are established, they have legal capacity or are represented by a legal representative, they have no criminal convictions, they have found their own accommodation or shelter, and they are able to support themselves and their close family. The requirements as to the absence of convictions and self-support may be waived on grounds of public interest or to avoid particular hardship.
From what moment does a person become a German citizen?
Naturalisation takes effect when the certificate drawn up by the competent citizenship authority is handed over. Before it is handed over, the applicant makes a solemn declaration that they will respect the Basic Law and the laws of Germany and will do nothing that could harm them. The certificate is presented at a public naturalisation ceremony.
Who files the application for minors?
From the age of 16 the application is filed in person; for children and young people under 16 it is filed by the parents. The forms are issued by the citizenship authorities; you can find out which authority is responsible from the foreigners' authority of your city or municipality, from migration advice services for young people, from the advice service for adult immigrants, or from the city or district administration. The authority advises seeking a consultation before filing the application.

Other ways to move to Germany

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Germany.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.